William h



' (No Model.)

W. H. sTooPs, SEALED LOOK FOR BANS. v No. 429,288. Patented June 3, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATE T OFFICE.

WVILLIAM H. STOOPS, OF BOONTON, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO JOSHUA S. SALMON, OF SAME PLACE.

SEALED LOCK FOR CANS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 429,288, dated June 3, 1890.

Application filed August 26, 1889. Serial No. 322,035. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that- WILLIAM H. Sroors, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boonton, in the county of Morris and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement for Locking and Sealing Cans, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of locking devices which are contained wholly or partly within the can itself; and the objects of my improvements are. first, to provide a mechanism that will require no spring; second, to provide a mechanism that will not interfere with the proper cleansing of the can or cover, and, third, to provide a mechanism that may be cheaply, expeditiously, and conveniently sealed and by its means prevent the abstractionor adulteration of the contents of the can without detection. I attain these objects by means of the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 shows the mechanism in position on the cover when locked and also shows the seal. Fig. 2 is the same as Fig. 1,but reversed, showing the position when unlocked. Fig. 3 shows the same mechanism modified and used in a different position on the cover of the can, the vertical rods being somewhat longer.

Similar letters refer to similar parts.

M is the can, and N the cover.

A, Fig. 1, is the seal shaped like a rivet and provided with a washer. It may be made of wood, pasteboard, or any suitable and convenient material.

B B are two vertical rods provided at their upper extremities with solid heads, and which at their lower extremities terminate in an angle or bend.

O C are two horizontal rods, one of which has at one end a solid cylinder and at the other an bend. The other horizontal rod has at one end a small hollow cylinder adapted to receive the solid cylinder before mentioned and at the other an eye to admit the J on the rod described. The two cylinders on the horizontal rods 0 O are perforated laterally with a small hole 0 in each,which holes are in line when the solid cylinder is passed into the hollow cylinder. These rods 0 0 pass through the solid heads of the vertical rods B B, which are provided with holes large enough to permit of their being easily slid back and forth.

The mechanism is attached to the can as follows: Near the edge of the cover and at two diametrically-opposite points are formed holes through which are passed the vertical rods B B, their solid heads resting on the upper surface of the cover. A smallpin b is driven through the rod-B just below the cover to prevent the rod from being withdrawn,

but leaving it free to turn in the hole in the cover. Any other suitable mode of securing the rod may be adopted.

The lip of the can may be provided with keepers adapted to engage withthe lower extremities of the vertical rods B B, or be provided with a recess for this purpose; or a small horizontal slitmmay be made on the lip just beneath the heavy wire that strengthens the lip of the can. Either of these ways may be used, as convenient. For convenience, I have shown the last.

The mechanism is operated as follows: Assume the mechanism in position unlocked, as shown at Fig. 2. Place the cover on the can so that the vertical rods willfall in line about the middle of the opening in the lip. Unhook the horizontal rods 0 C and rotate them through an arc of one hundred and eighty degrees, and pass the said rods 0 C inward till the cylinders are united the one within the other. The wooden or pasteboard rivet is then passed through the polesc in the cylinders, its end brushed with liquid glue, and the washer affixed, which soon becomes immovable. The mechanism cannot be operated till this rivet A is broken. It may be stamped with a device to distinguish it. Thus the can is locked and sealed. To unlock, break the seal A and reverse the mechanism to position shown at Fig. 2.

lVhen the mechanism is used in position, as shown at Fig. 3, the operation of thelock is precisely the same. The lower extremities of B B engage with the shoulder of the can. To maintain them vertical, they pass through small ears it justwithin the cylinder of the cover, as shown at Fig. 3. Thus the objects before stated are attained.

Having fully described my invention, what I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent is 1. The combination, with a can and its cover, of two vertical rods pas sing downwardly through, the cover, and having bent ends adapted to engage with the can, and mutually interlocking devices for retaining both rods in their engaged positions, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a can and its cover, of two rods passing through the cover, and having bent ends to engage with the can, each rod having also a horizontal rod arranged outside the cover and extending to the center thereof, and means for detachably uniting said horizontal rods, substantially as described.

25. The combination, with a can and its cover, of two vertical rods passing downward through said cover and adapted to engage with the can, each rod having a perforated head outside the cover, horizontal rods sliding in such perforations, and havingintermatching parts adapted to be engaged, and

means for sealing when them intermat-ched, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with a can and its cover, of two vertical rods passing downward through said cover and adapted to engage with the can, each rod having a perforated head outside of the cover, horizontal rods sliding in such perforations. and provided with holes in their ends, arranged to register when said ends are brought together, and a seal adapted to pass through said holes, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with a can and its cover, of two vertical rods passing downward through said cover and engaging with the can, each rod having a perforated head outside the cover, a rod passed through each head, one having a hollow cylinder and the other a solid cylinder fitting into the hollow one, the cylinders having holes that register when the parts are brought together, and a rivet passed through said holes to act as a seal, substantially as described.

VILLIAM I'I. STOOPS. lVitnesses:

J. S. SALMON, GEORGE C1. KYTE. 

